6. For Much of its Active Life, the Ansonia was Operating Illegally
The Ansonia got sold to a crooked landlord after Stokes’ death in 1945. When the landlord landed in jail, The Ansonia was sold to a Broadway sign manufacturer named Jake Starr who realized belatedly that the building had no certificate of occupancy from the city. It would take millions to get the building up to the latest code, so Starr decided to leave it abandoned.
